Adjustable reed cap and shuttle guard



Sept. 6 1955 w. M. BATTLES ADJUSTABLE REED CAP AND SHUTTLE GUARD 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 27, 1952 w Will/am M. Barr/es INVENTOR.

Allornqs Sept. 6 1955 w. M BATTLES ADJUSTABLE REED CAP AND SHUTTLE GUARD 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 27, 1952 Ammlqs United States Patent 2,717,007 ADJUSTABLE REED CAP AND SHUTTLE GUARD William M. Battles, Anniston, Ala.

Application May 27, 1952, Serial No. 290,215

2 Claims. (Cl. 139-192 This invention comprises novel and useful improvements in an adjustable reed cap and shuttle guard and more specifically pertains to an improved reed cap having means for precisely and adjustably mounting a reed therein together with a shuttle guard for protecting the adjustable reed cap.

The primary object of this invention is to provide an adjustable reed cap whereby the reed of a loom may be more readily adjusted in a minimum of time and with a minimum of effort.

A further object of the invention is to provide an adjustable reed cap in conformity with the preceding object which shall have improved means for guarding and protecting the same against an inaccurately picked shuttle of a loom.

These, together with various ancillary features and objects of the invention, which will later become apparent as the following description proceeds, are attained by the present invention, a preferred embodiment of which has been illustrated, by way of example only, in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figures 1 and 1a are respectively front elevational views of the left and right portions of a reed cap incorporating therein the principles of this invention and having an improved shuttle guard in accordance with this invention applied thereto;

Figures 2 and 2a are respectively left and right plan views of the construction of Figures 1 and la;

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse sectional detail view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 33 of Figure 1a and showing the manner in which the shuttle guard is removably secured to the reed cap;

Figure 4 is a vertical transverse sectional detail view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 4-4 of Figure 1a and showing the manner in which the components of the reed cap are adjustably secured together; and

Figure 5 is a somewhat diagrammatic end view of a portion of the swords, reed and reed lay of a loom showing the adjustable reed cap applied thereto in accordance with this invention.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the reed cap of the invention.

It is generally well-known that in conventional looms, when it becomes necessary to adjust or service the reeds thereof, considerable time and effort is required and the loom is rendered idle for considerable periods of time. It is the fundamental purpose of this invention to provide a construction whereby such servicing, adjustment or replacement of the reeds of a conventional loom may be made with a minimum of effort and in a minimum of time, thereby materially decreasing the time during which the loom must remain idle.

In accordance with this purpose, the present invention contemplates an improved reed cap construction which will facilitate the adjustment of the. reed without the necessity for removing the same from the associated parts of a loom; together with a guard means adapted to protect the reed cap from an improperly picked shuttle which might tend to strike and damage the same.

Referring now more specifically to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views, attention is directed first to Figure 5 wherein itwill be seen that the usual lay swords '10 are provided having a reed lay 12 mounted thereon and carried thereby, across which the usual shuttles are picked in a manner well understood in the art. The swords are further provided with a reed cap 14 secured to the swords as by fastening bolts 16, and a reed of any conventional type and indicated generally by the numeral 18 is secured to the reed lay 12 and the reed cap 14 to perform its usual functions in a loom. As further illustrated in Figure 5, the warp threads 20 of the loom after passing through the customary heddles or harnesses 22, pass through the reed 18 and thereafter have the weft or woof threads inserted therein by-the usual shuttles. Also indicated in Figure 5 is a shuttle guard 24 which is secured to the reed cap 14 and protects the sameagainst the impact of an improperly picked shuttle which might strike the same during its operation,

It is with the' reed cap 14 andthe shuttle guard 24 that the present invention is particularly concerned, and attention is now directed more specifically to Figures 1, 1a, 2, 2a, 3 and 4 of the drawings for an understanding of my improved construction.

The reed cap consists of two transversely extending bars, the upper bar being indicated by the numeral 26 and comprising the top, while the lower bar indicated by the numeral 28 constitutes the bottom of the reed cap 14. As will be readily apparent from Figures 3 and 4, the bottom bar 28 is provided with a channel 30 therein in which 1S seated'the upper rail of the reed 18, the same being secured therein in any desired manner. A plurality of fastening screws 32 extend loosely through transversely elongated bores 34 and the top, rail 26 of the reed cap, these bores or slots 34 thus providing for and permitting a limited lateral movement of the bottom rail 28 relative to the top rail 26 of the reed cap, as will be apparent from a consideration of Figures 2 and 4. The screws 32 are engaged in an internal threaded bore 36 extending through the bottom rail 38 of the reed cap whereby the bottom'rail and the reed cap secured thereto may be anchored to the top rail 26 in laterally adjusted position. As will be readily understood, and as suggested in Figure 5, the lower edge of the reed 18 will be received in a longitudinally extending channel in the reed lay 12.

As will now be readily understood, by merely loosening the screws 32, the bottom rail 28 may be readily adjusted relative to the top rail 26 of the reed cap whereby the reed may be easily adjusted without the necessity for entirely dismantling the same.

In order to protect the reed cap against damage in the event a shuttle is improperly picked and thrown upwardly towards the reed cap, the shuttle guard 24 is provided. This shuttle guard may conveniently comprise a unitary, rod-like member having a middle portion 38 which extends preferably parallel to the lower portion of the reed cap and in spaced relation to the front face thereof, at any convenient distance therefrom. Intermediate and terminal support arms 40 and 42 respectively extend from the portion 38 for mounting the latter upon the reed cap. The arms 42 at their upper ends are provided with horizontally extending portions 44 which overlie the top rail 26 of the reed cap 14, and terminate in vertical downwardly extending extremities 46. In a similar manner, the intermediate arms 40 at their upper ends are provided with horizontally extending portions Fatented Sept. 6, I955 48' which likewise terminate in verti depending extremities 50.

The depending portions 46 and 50 are received in vertical bores or sockets 52 formed in the top rail 26, andilateral set screws- 54 serve todetachably,secure these. extremities to the toprail. It will; be observedithat-the set screws also provide means for vertically adjusting the, vertical extremities 50 with respect to the bores 52, and consequent for vertically positioning and adjusting the position of the shuttle guard with respect to the reed cap.

It will be readily appreciated that the, guard may consist of a single horizontal bar or portion 38, or a plurality of the same if desired.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed: to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Having deseribed the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a loom construction including lay swords and an adjustable reed cap comprising top and bottom rails with the top rail thereof being mounted on the lay-swords, the improvement comprising; means fastening said top and bottom rails for limited relative lateral movement i including said top and" bottomrails having registering vertical bores therethrough, the bores in one of said rails being larger than the bores in the other of said rails, fastening elements extending through said bores adjustably frictionally clamping the top and bottom rails against one another, said fastening elements extending loosely through the larger bores enabling limited lateral adjustment of the rails with respect to one another.

2. In a loom construction'including lay swords and an adjustable reed cap comprising top and bottom-rails with the top rail thereof being mounted on the lay swords, the improvement comprising; said 'topand" bottom rails having vertical, registering bores therethrough, fastening elements extending through said bores and clamping said i top and bottom rails against one another for limited lateral movement, said clamping means including bolts threaded through the bores of the bottom rail, the bores of the top wall being laterally enlarged and loosely receiving thebolts enabling-lateral adjustment-of said bolts and bottom rail relative to the top rail.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED. STATES PATENTS 495,435 Simoneau Apr. 11, 1893 517,269 Draper Mar. 27, 1894 681,460 Rioux' Aug; 27, 1901' 135345252 Wakefield Apr. 21, 1925 2,396,780

Gill et al Mar. 19; 1 946 

